God is Personal

God is Personal "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.'" Jeremiah 1:4-5 _____ In this passage God comes to Jeremiah because...because God has a job He wants Jeremiah to do. But I like the way, first, before getting into the details of Jeremiah's job description, Jehovah starts their conversation on a personal note, with a tender word of encouragement. Now I know that these words were originally spoken to Jeremiah thousands of years ago, but what they tell us about God...how He feels and how He deals with His children...these lessons are timeless and as applicable today as they were O-so long ago. Above and beyond anything else, miracle-of-miracles, God knew us before we were conceived or even born. He, personally, created us...and formed us in our mother's womb. Our birth was no accident anymore than our lives are a by-product of evolution. God decided He wanted us. God decided who and what we would be and personally hand-picked the talents, abilities, strengths and even the weaknesses that we would have and chose us...sanctified us...set us apart so that in the fullness of His time, by His grace, we would believe in His Son and belong to Him for all eternity. What's more He has a job for us to do, just like He had a job for Jeremiah to do. O we may not be prophets. We probably won't be, not in the Biblical sense. But God has prepared a good work for each one of us to do and has equipped us...given us everything we need to accomplish that task for His pleasure and glory (Ephesians 2:8-10). The point is...? God, our God, is a communicative God. He doesn't breath the breath of life into our nostrils and give us the precious gift of life and then turn away and leave us to go-it-alone. He doesn't save our souls...and after speaking the truth and filling us with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ...all of a sudden become disengaged, disinterested, and silent. Life is all about fellowship , sharing life with God, inter-course between God and you...and God and me, or at least it is supposed to be. You see God is ever-present and always will be with us. His Spirit dwells within all those who believe. You can't get any closer or more present and personal than that. It is totally illogical to think after learning all of that about Him, that, for some reason, in this particular dispensation, that He God, now chooses to be silent. If anything, given the personal and universal mess we're in as members of the human race, God's speaking words of truth into our minds, whispering words of light and life into our hearts...and speaking words of power and courage into our over-worked, overwhelmed, and oppressed souls...is more important now than ever before. God speaks! He has so many important truths He wants to tell us. But...the question is are we wise enough to listen to Him? Love in Christ, Patty Clark In all matters let us always turn to and listen to that One and only sacred source. fenelon

God is All Powerful

God Is All-Powerful

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"For He Spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast."

Psalm 33:9

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God spoke the world into being. But did He speak in a...divine whisper? Or a reverberating shout? In the beginning there was nothing. Then the Lord uttered, "Let there be..." and, like the purest and most God-glorifying form of magic, there was a sun...the moon and the stars...the water and land and firmament...the birds in the air, fish in the sea, beasts in the fields...and Man! In the very first chapter of the Bible we learn that God communicates. He did. He does. And He always will. Don't let anyone, anywhere, tell you otherwise.

There is a lot to be said about the power of words, especially when those words originate with and come forth from the mind and heart of God. The Word of God carries with it the hope of glory and has the power to save a soul and set all who are held captive free. The Word of God tells us the truth about the holy One of Israel, our God. The Word encourages and unites, fills us with the riches of all wisdom and understanding and whether the Word is read...or It echoes down the corridors of our minds...or the Holy Spirit whispers it into the depth of our souls, communicating it is some personal and intimate way, after seeing it with our eyes, or reflecting on it with our midns, or embracing it in our hearts...we will know and understand Jesus better for having been touched by It. For it is in the Word of our God that the true treasures of life are found.

God can do more...accomplish in and through us more than we can ever imagine...via the supernatural and transforming power of His Word. From that one thing, God's Word, all things worth having come. I like what Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20-21,

"Now to Him who is able to do

exceeding abundantly beyond all that

we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

to Him be the glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus to all generations

forever and ever. Amen."
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And it is the power of the Word, Jesus, who came to earth in human form...and the power of His Spirit working in us...taking the words of truth and teaching them to us and applying them in our lives...that is what transforms our lives into the miracle He intended them to be. It is not self-effort, it is God...as He communicates with us in tender and loving words of truth...that changes our minds, improves the condition of our hearts, and completely renovates the spirit within.

Happy indeed those ears that listen

not to the voice outside

but to the Truth inside.

Thomas a' Kempis

May God bless you until next time.

Love in Christ, Patty Clark

Give Thanks

Give Thanks

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"...in everyting give thanks;

for this is God's will for you

in Christ Jesus."

I Thessalonians 5:18

I got up earyly this morning, 3:30 a.m. to be precise, and was sipping my first cup of coffee when this verse in I Thessalonians came to mind. And as I sat there in my big over-stuffed chair I realized that I had so much to be grateful for:

-I am alive

-Jesus loves me

-My family is safe

-My life is full of purpose, i.e. to seek, know, love, and enjoy God,.

And of course the list goes on an on. The problem is we don't stop to think about how blessed and fortunate we are. It is so much easier to focus in on the negative that life throws at us, but...according to this verse...it is God's will that we give thanks. Because?

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift

is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no variation

of shifting shadow."

James 1:17

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Our lives may not be perfect. Whose is? But the point is...God has blessed all of us in one way or another to one degree or another. It is our privileged responsibility to appreciate, acknowledge, and express our gratitude to Him. Speak well of Him. Praise and thank Him for who He is...what He has given...and all the good things that He has done. He deserves not only our attention but our praise. Besides...there are all sorts of benefits that are derived from having a thankful heart.

-We are free to enjoy life

-Our circumstances seem brighter

-The burdens that we are carrying seem lighter

-We become more optimistic

-We realize that, indeed, there is hope

John Piper wrote,

How can we not be thankful when we owe everything to God?

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Spend time over the holidays looking for all the good that is in your life. Make a deliberate and conscious effort to be exceedingly glad and express your gratitude not only to God but also to others. You will be surprised at how infectious thanksgiving can be.

Love in Christ, Patty Clark

God is All-Power

"See now that I, I am He,

And there is no god besides Me;

It is I who put to death and give life.

I have wounded, and it is I who heal;

And there is no one who can deliver from My hand."

Deuteronomy 32:39

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The extent of God's all-powerfulness is extraordinary, incomprehensible, and...awe-inspiring.

All-powerful. In that small three letter word, "all," we see something about God that should stop us in our tracks and change our lives forever. From God's own lips we learn that His power is...the greatest power in heaven or on earth. There is no power like God's power. None! There never has been. There never will be. God is God, and His divine and sovereign power is one of a kind.

It is hard for us to imagine what the all-powerfulness of God means exactly. That is because we are so feeble and finite, especially in our thinking. We are human. That means that our minds, bodies, and even the resources that we do have to live life successfully are limited too. That's a hard concept to grasp, especially when the world we live in tells us that we can do anything, even becomes gods if we want to and are willing to work hard enough. That is why we need to focus-in-on the all-powerfulness of God and what that, potentially at least, means to us and what difference it could make in our lives. Because...? Because God can do anything.

That is one of the reasons why studying the nature of God is so important. What we learn about our God can change our lvies, for-the-better. That is why pursuing the person of God and learning the truth about Him is not a luxury. It is an absolute necessity if we want to live a truly abundant God-honoring life. We are weak. He is not. We are feeble. He is not. We are finite. He is not. God is all-powerful! That is why we so desperately need Him. Yes, we need God's loves. Absolutely. But we also need His supernatural strength and power to overcome our human deficiencies and live, if you will, supernatural lives for His purposes, pleasure, and glory.

The encouraging thing is...we don't have to fight the battles of life alone. We don't have to deal with the stresses and tension of our earthly existence armed only and merely with human logic, energy, and strength. There is a God and He chose you...and He chose me to be His own. We are His royal priests...His holy temples...and He has promised to supply all our needs, including His might. God's desire is to come into that special place that is our minds...our hearts

...our souls and share with us His supernatural power. Why? So we can excel and thrive...

perform all sorts-of signs and wonders and move mountains in His name for, of course, His glory.

Will you let Him share with you what you need the most...His infinite, supernatural, and timeless power? If not, why not? You know that you will never make it on your own.

Until next time...

Love in Christ, Patty Clark

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You were created to be filled with one thing...

God HImself.

God is All-Knowing

"Do not look at his appearance

or at the height of his stature,

because I have rejected him;

for God sees not as man sees,

for man looks at the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart."

I Samuel 16:7

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God looks at and sees into our hearts. That can be a frightening or a comting reality, depending on the condition of our hearts. Frightening if we are not walking with God and being obedient. Comforting if we are walking as one with God and doing what He wants us to do. But there is another facet of God looking into our hearts that has served as a great encouragement to me over the years. Our heavenly Father knows what is best. Period! End of story. He looks deep within our souls. He sees clearly and accurately what is going on there. That means that He knows. He knows what we need even more than we do. He knows what is lacking and what spiritual food is needed to nourish our faith. He knows exactly what kind of circumstances and tests are needed to strengthen our convictions and revitalize our relationship with Him. And He knows what corrections and disciplines are required to conform us to the image of His Son. Only God knows. That is something that you and I must believe and understand.

I suppose that's what it comes down to in the end. Faith, really, faith in God. Either we believe that God is the loving, concerned, ever-present and the all-knowing Father He declares Himself to be, or we don't. Either we accept the fact that He wants the best for us and knows how to give it to us or...we reject the scriptural fact of His all-knowing-ness entirely. But in the end, if we understand that God looks into our hearts and knows...well, Everything! We will believe in Him and rely on Him and wherever He leads us...we will follow.

I've been a Christian for twenty-eight years and I realize now more than ever that I don't know everything like I once thought I did. I certainly don't know, like God knows, what is going on in my own heart. And because I am O-so human, frail, and finite, I don't always know what is best for me. That's one of the reasons why you and I have to pursue God. We need to believe that He is exactly who He declares Himself to be. We have to believe that He will do what He promises. When He says that He looks into our hearts...and He declares Himself to be all-knowing...via a conscious decision on our part, we have to believe what He says is true. We must deliberately put our trust in Him. The person of God...He is our only hope.

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Once touched by truth,

A little thing like faith is easy.

Enger

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God is All-Knowing

Exercise

1. Describe what you consider to be the "ideal" friend.

2. Is Jesus your friend? Explain how His friendship operates in your life.

3. Does what you know about the person help you relate better to that person?

Explain your answer.

4. Jesus knows everything! Everything about who you are, what you think, what

your dreams and ambitions are, and what you do. What do you think about

that? How does that make you feel?

5. How is Jesus' all-knowing-ness a good thing?

God is Ever-Present

"You shall make an altar of earth for Me,

and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings

and your peace offerings,

your seek and your oxen;

in every place where I cause My name to be remembered,

I will come to you and bless you."

Exodus 20:24

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God with you. God with me. That is the miracle of life. Could there be a more glorious reality in life than that? The Eternal God of all ages...the very God who created you and me...and then saves our souls...it is this loving and benevolent God who voluntarily shares Himself with us and chooses to walk through life with us as our Constant Companion and Dearest Friend.

Surely when we look and see the Holy One of Israel...the Great Divine living in and with us...we are able to recognize what an undeserved gift His presence is. But the awesome thing is...our God is doing signs-and-wonders and performing miracles all the time. Right? Of course He is! He delights in doing the amazing and unexpected. He glories in the fact that He can take our breath away by being Himself. He takes great pleasure in filling our minds with wonder and our hearts with awe. All we have to do is open our eyes and we can see Him doing the things that can only be done by Him. And that is the truly incredible thing about our Lord, not only does He give us His unconditional love but He is trying to actively participate in our lives too. As a matter of fact, He wants to be involved in every thought we think, every word we speak, and every deed we perform. Now if that doesn't take your breath away nothing will.

And I wonder sometimes, how many of God's children in this day and age, within the perameters of the contemporary Christian Church as a whole, allow God this sort-of access into their lives? Okay, taking it a step further, how many Christians today desire God to participate in their lives to this degree today? Is there really anyone on the face of the earth today, who seeks God and wants God only and absolutely? I wonder.

A.W. Tozer in his book entitled "The Pursuit of God" refers to a rather unhealthy condition within the cloistered walls of the Christian Church. He wrote, "We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic that insists that if we have found Him (Christ) we need no more to seek Him."

Many of us are satisfied to know Jesus just a little, to know Him as Savior alone. We are relieved to escape hell of course but, that's all there is. There is nothing more. We don't desire Jesus. We don't want to seek after Him. We don't want to spend a whole lot of time or invest too much of our energy growing in the knowledge of Him. Pity. There is so much more... and we must seek to find it. To seek God's loving presence. That is what life is for.

I will leave you today with this quote taken from the cover of Brother Lawrences' book entitled "The Practice of the Presence of God."

"Brother Lawrence was a man of humble beginnings

who discovered the greatest secret of living in the Kingdom of God here on earth.

It is the art of 'practicing the presence of God in one single act

that does not end.'

He often stated that it is God who paints Himself

in the depths of our soul.

We must merely open our hearts to receive Him

and His loving presence."

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A Challenge:

This week reflect on the deepest desires of your heart. What do you want out of life? How does cultivating intimacy with Jesus figure into your ambitions? Be honest, with yourself and with God. Talk things over with Him. Ask and He will enable you to see your life through His eyes and from His eternal point of view. You might be surprised....if you let Him...Jesus can do some pretty amazing things in your life and through you.

Love in Christ, Patty Clark

"The Lord kills and mades alive;

He brings down to Sheol and raises up.

The Lord makes poor and rich;

He brings low, He also exalts."

Samuel2:6-7

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Everything belongs to God. EVERYTHING! Not only is He self-governing but He has the right to govern everyone and all things. Think about the rightness of that for a minute. A position such as His...a position of such magnitude, is hard for us to understand I know. It is above us and beyond us as human beings. There is no like earthly position or power or authority anywhere on earth. There is none that is equal. But in spite of our inability to comprehend the sovereignty of God, it is an important issue just the same. One that we should expose ourselves to and consider.

Unfortunately the Lord's sovereignty is a subject that often gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to our personal quest to know and understand Him. We're human. We tend to explore and focus-in-on those aspects of God's nature that appeal to us and, to be brutally honest, minister to our O-so self centered and needy egos. For example: God is love. We like to think about that one. Or there is the fact of His ever-presence. That's another one we focus on and derive much comfort and benefit from. Then there is His energy and super-natural power that He is willing to share with us. Being the weak and needy people that we are we gravitate towards those characteristics that promise to benefit us the most. It's only natural, unfortunately. But the fact is, ultimately, when we examine God's sovereignty, embrace, and submit to the fact that he has the right to rule over us, in the end, that is what sets us free from self and this fallen world and Satan's power over us. You see it is when we examine and explore and submit to God's sovereign rule over our lives...that we grow and excel and serve God the most effectively.

I suppose the bottom-line in all of this is, who can stand in the presence of God and not be humbled? Who can stand in the light of His infinite power and remain arrogant and apathetic to the awe-inspiring fact of who He is? And who can grapple with the fact of His sovereignty and the right He has to govern our lives and not be changed, from within? Listen to what Isaiah wrote,

"'In the year of King Uzziah's death,

I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,

lofty and exalted,

with the train of His robe filling the temple'

and then he exlaimed,

'Woe is me,

for I am ruinted.'"

(See Isaiah 6:1-5)

Isaiah saw God. In an instant he knew that God was the Master of All, including him. And until you and I see that we were created by God and saved by God and that He does have the right to live in and through us and rule over us...we will never be the first class saints and servants God intended and needs us to be.

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The Christian instincts of trust and worship

are stimulated very powerfully by

the knowledge of the greatness of God.

J.I. Packer

GOD IS IMMUTABLE

The Bible says that God is creative.

He was. He is. He always will be.

He still creates new life in an expectant mother's womb.

He still creates breathtaking sunsets everyday.

We plant a bulb and he creates a brilliantly yellow

daffodil in the spring.

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Think about this. The Bible says that God delivered His chosen people, the Israeliets, from captivity. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, He still delivers thousands of people from eternal death into new life everyday. The Bible says that God parted the Red Sea and made a way for His people to escape Pharaoh's army. God can still part the Red Sea of the oppressive circumstances that Satan puts in our lives and lead us into a life of safety, peace, and rest.

So what's my point? God is still God! He hasn't changed. He never will change. Never! And what's more, He has not compromised or altered His plan for our lives, in the least, and He never will. He hasn't run out of love. He hasn't grown feeble and weak or turned into a lesser God with the passing of time. The God we read about in the Bible...the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...Peter, Paul, and John...He is our God and

...Hebrews 13:5 states that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

I suppose the question I should ask you right now is, Should the fact that God is immutable, unchanging, make a difference in the way we think and live our lives?

Well, to my way of thinking anyway, it definitely should. If God is still God, which He is, if He is the same holy and awe-inspiring Great Divine that we read about in scriptures...then that means He can still do the things He did. That means we can depend on Him. He can be trusted. We can have faith in Him. If we know and believe in the immutibility of God...the God of the Bible...then that means we shouldn't have any trouble putting the whole of our lives into His hands, complete with all our personal problems, fears, worries, and concerns. Because? Because He's God and He can be trusted. He can!

I appreciate what the apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7,

"Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all comprehension,

shall guard your hearts and minds

in Christ Jesus."

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Why does Paul speak so confidently about God? Because Paul knew God, personally and experientially. He had faith in God. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus his Savior was God...the eternal and immutable Jehovah...the Great I Am.

Our Lord wants us to accept the fact of His immutability, right now, today. He wants us to hold on to the reality that He does not change, with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our might. And when uncertainties and conflicts enter into the sanctuary of our souls...He wants us to enter boldly into His presence, focus on Him, bask in His love and rest in His goodness. You and I might change, but God never does. Never!

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TAKING IT PERSONAL

Think today why the fact of God's immutability should change your: Faith, The way you think, and the way you live your life. Write a letter of praise to God and thank Him for being...God.

"The character of God is today, and always will be,

exactly what it was in Bible times."

J.I. Packer

Until next time, Love in Christ, Patty Clark

God is...Self-sufficient.

Lets talk about God...the fact that He is self-sufficient. I can't think of a subject that is more important...or exciting. The term self-sufficient means: "able to provide what one needs without outside help.

"God is seeking to speak himself out to His creation.

The whole Bible supports the idea.

God is speaking.

Not God spoke,

but God is speaking."

A.W. Tozer

And God is speaking to you and to me, right now, today. The question of course is, Are we listening? He has so many wonderful things that He wants to tell us. There are so many lessons we need to learn, truths about Himself that He wants to pass on to us. The desire of His heart is that we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He is Yaweh, Jehovah, the Great I am, the God of the Bible and the Lord. He wants us to understand that He is not only eternal and self-existent but self-sufficient as well. Self-sufficient in that He had no origin or beginning and He will have no end. Self-sufficient in that He possesses all things and is able to support and maintain His life without any help or assistance from anyone or anything, including you and me. When we grapple with these formidable facts and begin to understand, at least to some degree, who and what He is....we are blessed.

So why is the fact that God is self-sufficient so important? Well, to be honest until about a year ago I didn't have a clue. I had never explored the self-sufficient side of God's nature. Then I started attending an in-depth Bible study in the Book of Genesis. It took us about amonth to work our way through chapters one and two alone. The information and truths that were presented opened my eyes not only to the miracle of creation but also the Creator Himself. I started thinking about God existing before there was anything, and it humbled me. In Genesis 1:2 it states clearly,

"And the earth was formless and void,

and darkness was over the surface of the deep;

and the Spirit of God was hovering over the

surface of the waters."

Think about that for a minute. God was...hovering. Hovering meaning contemplating, preparing, looking forward to some special and awesome event. But what "event"?

Well, look at Genesis 1:26. What does it say? God says to...God,

"Let Us make man in Our image,

according to Our likeness;

and let them rule over the fist of the sea

and over the birds of the sky

and over the cattle and over all the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

God the Father...God the Son...and the Holy Spirit got together. They had a meeting you might say and came to a cooperate and unanimous decision. A decision to...create man. And that's key. There wasn't something lacking in God's life that needed to be filled. The Godhead existed very nicely and happily before man. What that means is: God made man because He wanted man. Wanted! And when you consider that fact soberly...and reflect on how extra-ordinary that is...it changes everything.

A.W. Tozer wrote this profound statement: "We can never know who or what we are till we know at least something of what God is." And for you and I to grapple with the fact that God is self-sufficient is a good place to start. Why? Because...well, when we witness God forming man from the dust of the earth...and He breaths the breath of life into his nostrils...

when we reflect on the reality that the very same God who created Adam personally formed you and me in our mother's womb...and He did so because He wanted us...well, we are better able to see what an awesome and undeserved gift God has given us. What "gift"? The gift of life.

"What is man that Thou art mindful of him?

And the son of man, that Thou

visited him?"

Psalm 8:4

TAKING IT PERSONAL

Today meditate on the fact that God is self-sufficient and that He wanted You! Consider how that scriptural fact plays into the personal relationship you have with Him. Write down your thoughts and impressions. Thank God...let Him know how much you appreicate Him.

Until next time,

Love in Christ, Patty Clark

Searching for God...

Hello!

I have had the pleasure of leading a series of Bible studies this year about the nature and character of God. To say the least it has been exciting. So many of God's people in one place...
studying God's Word. So many of God's children hungry for His Word. The study is entitled: "Here Is Your God." The purpose is to lead us to the person of God and allow us to see Him as He is...learn the truth of who He is and what He is doing...what He wants to do in and through you and me. A deeper understanding of God...our Maker and Savior. That is what we are after. That is what this study is for. Its been life-changing. That's why I decided to share these studies with you.

Each week I will post a portion of the study. All you have to do is read it, meditate on it, and answer the questions that appear at the end of each lesson. Pray. Ask Jesus to tell you what He wants you to know. Be receptive, teachable, and expectant. Because He does have some marvelous truths that He wants to share with you. Are you up for it? Okay...lets go. But first,

Jesus,

The world we live in is a busy place.

Give us grace to be still...and seek You in Your Word.

Speak to us...and teach us to listen.

We seek You...fill us with Your power

Help us set our minds on the things of heaven.

Teach us.

In Your precious name we pray. Amen.

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"BUT FROM THERE YOU WILL SEEK THE LORD YOUR GOD,

AND YOU WILL FIND HIM IF YOU SEARCH FOR HIM

WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND ALL YOUR SOUL."

Deuteronomy 4:29

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GOD IS ETERNAL

"For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy.

"I will dwell on a high and holy place,

and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

in order to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite."

Isaiah 57:15

We are an in-the-moment kind of people. In fact our culture emphasizes how important it is to take advantage of every minute of every day, so that we will fully enjoy each experience that comes our way. And that's a good thing! We are taught to live life to its fullest. That's a good thing, obviously, because we never get a second chance. But this philosophy of being-in-the-moment is nothing new. In fact the apostle Paul talked about it in Ephesians 5:16 when he said, "...make the most of your time, because the days are evil." And James wrote this about the fragility and brevity of life, "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:14) Life is a precious gift and in honor of God we should use it wisely and handle it with great sobriety and care.

But there is the eternal side of life that we need to consider too. A bigger picture as they say, that we need to think about. Why? Because you and I are eternal beings, in a sense, after-all. Depending on what we believe...what we decide to do about Jesus...our faith in Him, or lack thereof, that all-important decision will determine where we spend eternity. If we reject the fact that Jesus died for our sins and don't accept Him as our personal Savior, when we die we will go to hell. On the other hand, if we do believe in Jesus and accept His offer of salvation...

believe that He died for our sins and was crucified, buried, and rose from the grave on the third day...we will be spiritually born again and spend eternity with Him in heaven. You see the point is: God is eternal and, in a sense, so are we.

It is important that you and I understand that God has existed through-out time. He had no beginning. He will have no end. And as human beings, that should give us hope. There is Someone bigger, better, and more powerful and infinitely wiser than we are. He's been around forever and He is a someone who sees all and knows everything. He can be our personal Savior if we let Him be. And even though this world seems to be spinning out of control there is an eternal God who is sovereign and is in control. We can trust Him. We should trust Him. Plus, miracle-of-miracles, we don't have to wait until we get to heaven to know Him and enjoy His presence and experience His grace, everyday, at work in our lives.

You know, the interesting thing is, the eternal God who created us...He knows all about who and what we are, and what we are doing. What's more, He wants us to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. There is a God who has existed forever and He wants to touch our lives and bless us...bless YOU!

DRAW NEAR TO HIM...

AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU!

Blessings...Love in Christ, Patty Clark

What a blessing...

Its been a long time. But now we are back together. I am reminded of how precious it is to have an opportunity to fellowship...share with other Christians the truth about Jesus and the living of life. What a privilege, indeed.
This week I starting teaching a new study on the Book of Philippians at my church here in Oroville, California. The study is slightly different in that...even though we are studying the whole book...going through each passage and verse...the focus of this particular study is to look for Jesus...our Lord in every chapter and verse. As I shared this morning in our first class...it is so easy for us to get in the habit of "studying" the Word of God by rote...going through the motions and never...well, "connecting" with the God who created us...saved us...and wrote this incredible and life-changing Book as a love letter to you and to me.
My challenge to our group this morning and my challenge to you is...every time you sit down and have your quite time...remember: you are entering into the presence of your God. You are sitting down at Jesus' feet, like Mary did, and will encounter Him of you look for Him. Bible study is more than an intellectual exercise. The time we spend in the Word is not just a matter of gathering information, facts, and figures.
You are a child of the Only True God of the Universe. As a believer in Jesus Christ you have been given an opportunity to fellowship with Him...share your life with Him...meet with Him in His Word, everyday. Redeem the time that you have been given. Draw near to Him, Jesus, the person of God and let Him speak words of truth into your heart. He has so many awe-inspiring things that He wants to tell you. Listen!
Until next time, (Which I promise will not take as long as it did last time) Blessings in the name of our Beloved Lord.

Love in Christ, Patty Clark